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Chapter 20: Cole
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๋ฐ์ดํธ:
2023-03-07 10:51:55
owlonmywristCome on, you two! Get it together!
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Love in the Time of Quarantineย ย ย Chapter 21: Kent
Itโs been months since Cole and I had our fight. For a while, I only saw him on weekends, and even then, our interactions were mostly limited to sex. It was heartbreaking.Things slowly improved, and now weโre hanging out as friends againโwatching TV, playing video games on the PS4 in the living room, cooking together, or just talking. But anytime things start to get even slightly intimate, Cole either bails or immediately turns it sexual.Itโs gotten to the point where Iโve stopped trying to tell Cole what I think or feel. Heโs not listening anyway. Yeah, I get itโI was an asshole. I admit it. I'm genuinely sorry about it, but thereโs nothing I can do to fix it if he wonโt let me. And heโs not letting me.Honestly? Iโm kind of pissed at him. He knew I had trouble with relationships when this all started. He knew I only wanted a friends-with-benefits arrangement initially. Heโs right; we slipped into a relationship like it was the most natural thing in the world. It was perfect until I
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2023-03-09Love in the Time of Quarantineย ย ย Chapter 22: Kent
His mouth is all over my bodyโkissing, licking, nipping at every inch of flesh he can reach and driving me crazy. Every time he moves near my nipples or cock, he skirts around them, allowing only his cheek or chin to brush them, never directly touching.I whine, squirming underneath him. My fingers thread into his hair as he dips his tongue into my navel, and I gently push him toward my aching dick. When he finally moves toward my cock, he pauses, then teasingly slides his tongue just to the side, avoiding it again.โPlease!โ I beg, desperate.A dark, husky chuckle escapes him. โWhat do you want me to do?โHeโs been teasing me for what feels like forever, leaving me painfully hard. Sitting up, I grab his face, forcing him to look at me. His smug smirk is right there, inches away, making me even hotter. โPut my cock in your mouth,โ I demandโbut instead of coming out forceful, my voice trembles with need.His eyes darken further, dropping to my cock as his smile widens. โWith pleasure.โ
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2023-03-11Love in the Time of Quarantineย ย ย Chapter 23: Cole
Itโs 2:00 p.m. on Saturday before I even think about getting up. Last night was the biggest catering event I've had so farโthe reopening of an art gallery. We pushed out food for a hundred people all night. It was amazing, exhausting, lucrative, and Iโm damn proud of myself and my staff.As my business has grown, Iโve hired even more of my old colleagues. Servers, sous chefs, line workers, dishwashersโeven Jessie, my former assistant, came aboard to help manage the business side. Most of my old crew from Hayes Mansion is back together. Jeff must be throwing one hell of a tantrum.I didnโt get home until 5:00 a.m. I was so exhausted, I didn't even bother changing out of my clothes before collapsing onto the bed.By 2:30, I'm finally showered, dressed, and standing in the kitchen making brunch. Chicken and wafflesโbecause why not?Just as I drop the hot-sauce-and-buttermilk-marinated chicken into the frying oil, I hear Kentโs door open down the hall.I smile to myself, hopeful. Weโve bee
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2023-03-14Love in the Time of Quarantineย ย ย Chapter 24: Kent
I couldnโt believe what I saw when I walked into the kitchenโJustin sitting casually at the counter, eating breakfast with Cole like this was completely normal. Why was he still here? My one-night stands never stuck around long enough for breakfast. Usually, they quietly slipped out before the sun was fully up, barely leaving a trace behind. Of course, the one time I needed someone gone, he lingered.Iโd woken up to the dull murmur of voices from the kitchen, a headache pounding at my temples. Starโs drinking games last nightโone shot for every month of quarantineโhad done a number on me. Groaning, I swallowed a handful of aspirin from the bedside table and tried to shake away the nausea. Then my eyes landed on the open bottle of lube tossed on its side, and it all came crashing back.Justin. The guy from the club whoโd reminded me so much of Coleโjust scruffier, a bit bigger, less refined. I remembered dancing with him, making out on the dance floor, and then bringing him home because
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2023-03-18Love in the Time of Quarantineย ย ย Chapter 25: Cole
Iโm a coward.I know I am. On Monday, while Kent was at work, I moved out without telling him. All weekend Iโd secretly packed my stuff, and by the time Monday rolled around, everything was ready. Kent never noticed because heโd been preoccupied, giving me enough space to slip away quietly.I left him a noteโthe ultimate cowardโs move. I told him I loved him. It felt manipulative even as I wrote it, but I needed him to understand why I was leaving. It wasnโt about revenge or anger; it was about protecting what little of my heart was left intact.I couldnโt stay. Not when heโd started bringing other guys home. Not when the thought of seeing him with someone else felt like a knife twisting deeper into my chest. Yeah, maybe it was immature. Maybe it was selfish. But I couldnโt handle being his backup plan anymore.Besides, I knew this was bound to happen eventually. COVID threw us together, created something out of desperation and isolation. Without it, Kent would never have seen me as an
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2023-03-19Love in the Time of Quarantineย ย ย Chapter 26: Kent
An entire month without Cole.I still canโt believe heโs been gone this long. Every day I miss him. At first, it was nearly impossible to get out of bed. I was depressed, empty. I even moved my mattress into his old room just to sleep somewhere that still smelled like him. It was the only thing that calmed me enough to sleep.As days turned into weeks, things slowly got easier, but I avoided the apartment as much as possible. Every inch of it reminded me of Cole, especially at meal times. Even on the nights we didnโt eat together, Cole always had food waiting in the fridge with little heating instructions scribbled on Post-it notes. After the first week, the last meal was gone, and it felt like losing him all over again.There were so many nights I nearly called him, so I eventually deleted his number from my phone just to remove the temptation. Star still has it if I absolutely need it, but it felt important to create that distance. If Cole calls me, the phone will recognize him anywa
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2023-03-21Love in the Time of Quarantineย ย ย Chapter 27: Cole
An entire month without Kent.I thought it wouldโve beenโฆworse? Okay, that sounds badโand itโs not completely true. The first few days were brutal. The ache of missing him was nearly unbearable. But after that initial wave passed, I got so busy with my catering business that I genuinely didnโt have time to dwell.Suddenly, a month had gone by, and I realized two things:One: My business had grown so fast I needed to hire more staff immediately.Two: It had been a month since I'd spoken to Kent, and Iโd survived. Hell, I was doing better than just surviving.Did I miss Kent? Of course. I missed our friendship, the comfort of his company, and the ease weโd once had. But what I didnโt miss was the drama, the heartache, the constant insecurity that had come to define our relationship.Jessie had been pushing me to reconnect with old friends and to meet some of hers. My social life expanded beyond the circle Kent and I had shared, and honestly, it felt good. I didnโt feel weighed down by he
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2023-03-23Love in the Time of Quarantineย ย ย Chapter 28: Kent
When Cole called to say he wanted to meet, I nearly dropped my phone.The second we hung up, I video-called Star, barely able to breathe through my excitement. โBitch! We have to talkโnow! I've got major tea!โโSpill it!โ Star squealed, immediately matching my chaotic energy. This is why I loved Star; their ability to instantly match whatever mood I was in.โCole called. He wants to meet me tomorrow afternoon!โ My voice rose so high I probably sounded like a dog whistle.Star's jaw dropped, and they blinked rapidly. โWaitโare you serious?โโYou donโt have to sound so shocked!โStar grimaced apologetically. โKent, baby, I love you, but I genuinely thought this was done. I figured therapy was helping you move past him, not back toward him.โI stared at them, momentarily thrown. โYou seriously didnโt think we had a shot?โStar shrugged, looking uncomfortable. โI mean... sorry?โI wanted to be annoyed, but my joy wouldnโt allow it. โWhatever. I'm too happy to fight with you now. But you ow
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2023-03-25
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Love in the Time of Quarantineย ย ย Author's Note
Hey friends! Thank you so much for reading Love in the Time of Quarantine. I hope that you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing. Here are a couple of announcements/interesting information for you. 1. If you are interested in what I listen to while Iโm writing, you can find my playlist โCreative Juicesโ on Spotify. I love all different kinds of music, so there's a little something for everyone. 2. Other books on GoodNovel: Trio of Mates Series: 4 werewolf books that take on the idea of what would happen if one of the leadership was gay and couldnโt produce an heir. Lots of very graphic smut. (completed) Trio Legacy Series: The stories of the children of the wolves introduced in the Trio of Mates Series. Completed: Hide and Seek, Ongoing: Red Rover Dissonance and Harmony: The story of a high school girl who has to face her rapist at his sentencing hearing and deal with her PTSD from that night. Graphic violence and rape scenes. (completed) 3. Follow me under the same name
Love in the Time of Quarantineย ย ย Chapter 30: Jorge
Iโm standing outside the girlsโ apartmentโour old apartmentโwith a picnic basket of baked goods and a cooler full of drinks, fruit, and toppings. I brought muffins, cinnamon rolls, danishes, cinnamon raisin bread, and fresh bagels.Okay, I went a little overboard. I can admit that. Iโm just so fucking anxious, I donโt know what to do with myself.I was already awake when Andieโs text came through last night, replaying everything Angel had said to me earlier. Iโd been scrolling through old photos of Andie and Jaime, staring at all the joy I used to have. I miss them so damn much. It took losing them to understand exactly how badly Iโd fucked up.I didnโt even hesitate. I texted back immediately that Iโd bring breakfast.And for the first time in a while, I fell asleep without any trouble.Granted, it was only for a few hoursโI had to make deliveries at the bakery this morningโbut I got there early, dropped everything off, and grabbed the best of the morningโs offerings for them.Now Iโv
Love in the Time of Quarantineย ย ย Chapter 29: Jaime
Iโve been tossing and turning in bed all night after listening to everything Angel and Maddie said tonight.โYou three belong together.โโHe loves you.โโHe wants you back.โโWhat do you have to lose if you do call him?โI know what my heart wants. I also know what my heart is afraid is going to happen. How can I allow him to possibly hurt meโusโall over again?Whatโs the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result? Wouldnโt it be insane to let him back into our lives and hope it ends differently?Angel and Marta have both said heโs reduced his hours at the business. That theyโve hired new people. That heโs learned his lesson. Could it be true? Could he really have changed for us, even if he didnโt think weโd ever come back?I donโt know.Weโve been in bed since midnight, and itโs now 3 a.m. With a huge sigh, I get up and grab my robe, tying it tightly around me. I canโt lay here any longer. And if I keep shifting, Iโm going to wake
Love in the Time of Quarantineย ย ย Chapter 28: Andie
Jaime and I go about making dinner in silence. Weโre a well-oiled machine at this point, moving easily around each other in our kitchen. Angel and her partner Maddie are coming over tonight for dinner and to play cards.Itโs something we started back in college with Angelโa weekly card game. Each week, someone picks the game we play, and once a year, each of us is supposed to introduce a new card game. We use candy and snack foods for any games that require betting. Itโs more about hanging out and having fun than anything else.Maddie and Angel have been very careful about who they let into their circle, as have we, so we all feel comfortable being around each other, even with COVID still going on.Unfortunately, this is how much of our life has been since Jorge left: a silent orbit around each other. We hold each other through the tears and the pain, but we donโt really talk.I mean, whatโs there to say?Weโre enough for each otherโbut not for the man we love.It hurts. And weโre grie
Love in the Time of Quarantineย ย ย Chapter 27: Jorge
โAngel, do you have tomorrowโs shipment of bread all packaged? Carmelloโs needs the delivery an hour early. Iโd like to be able to have everything on rolling carts so I can just load up the trucks the second I get here,โ I call to Angel.When she first started working with me, I had brought Angel on just as a delivery driver. But over the last two months, I have consciously tried to pull myself back from the business, and Iโve made Angel a partner. We have three drivers, a part-time baker, and two part-time packagers. Iโve cut my hours back so that Iโm working nine-hour days, as opposed to the sixteen-hour days I was working before.The only reason that Iโm driving tomorrow is because our early morning guy took the day off. Otherwise, Iโve even built in Wednesdays and Sundays as days off.โYes, everythingโs all ready. Just waiting for the last batch to finish cooling before we get it packaged. Iโll get that done in the next hour,โ Angel tells me.I let out a huge sigh. โOk. Iโm heading
Love in the Time of Quarantineย ย ย Chapter 26: Jaime
Itโs been a week since our last interaction with Jorge. Weโve been communicating via text and notes left at the apartment. The morning after our breakup, Jorge was gone before Andie and I even woke up. Heโd packed a bag and left a note saying heโd be in and out while we were at work over the coming week.Heโs moving into an apartment over his parentsโ restaurant. It used to be his dadโs office, and over the years, various family members have crashed there when they were in the doghouse with their wives or girlfriends.Not a bad placeโbut not exactly the kind of space youโd expect someone with a thriving business to live in. Still, with COVID still bad, Jorge decided to stay somewhere only family had been. Said it was safer.Trying to decide what belongs to who over text is awful.Iโd honestly thought Jorge was the one. The guy Iโd spend the rest of my life with. When we added Andie into our lives, it felt perfect. For a while.So we bought everything togetherโTV, couch, microwave. Even
Love in the Time of Quarantineย ย ย Chapter 25: Andie
In that way that grief between people who love each other will sometimes turn sexual, when Jorge turns to Jaime and kisses her, she kisses him back.I lean in and kiss the side of his face. He turns toward me andโGodโit feels good to kiss him. Iโve missed him so damn much. Itโs been too damn long.Jaime brings his mouth back to hers, their kiss hungry and desperate. My hands go to the bottom of the hoodie heโs wearing and I rip it off of him.Jaime finds his mouth again, and I lean down, licking his nipples. He groans into Jaimeโs mouth, his body tensing in arousal. He loves having his nipples played with. At the same time, I rake my nails down his abs.Jorge pulls back from Jaimeโs mouth to look down at me. โPlease. I need you both.โ His voice is so full of need.I look at Jaime, asking if sheโs okay with this. Because this is going to be an end, not a reconciliation. But I want this. I need him.Jaime nods, both of us catching the motion.Jorge surges from the chair, knocking it to t
Love in the Time of Quarantineย ย ย Chapter 24: Jorge
Andie looks between Jaime and me, and I can tell she immediately understands whatโs going on. Sheโs always had that abilityโto take in a situation at a glance and know exactly whatโs happening. I guess thatโs what makes her such a good programmer.And an expert at calling me on my bullshit.Ever since the day I triggered Jaimeโs meltdown, Andieโs been more distant with me. I think she realized that, even though the promises I made to her and Jaime were heartfelt, they werenโt ones I could keep.The time I managed to get after that? It felt more like it was for Jaimeโs benefit than for Andieโs. As introverted and quiet as she appears, Andie doesnโt take shit from anyone.She gave me more rope than I deserved. And I guess I finally used it to hang myself.โHow far are we into this conversation?โ Andie asks calmly.I blink at her, caught off guard by how level her voice is.Jaime answers instead. โI told him heโs not treating us like priorities. That the last chance we gave him was the la
Love in the Time of Quarantineย ย ย Chapter 23: Jaime
Iโm sitting on the couch flipping through TV channels when Jorge walks in. Itโs been two days since our failed date night, and this is the first time Iโve seen him for more than a passing second. Heโs dressed in sweats and a tank top, hair wet from a showerโhe mustโve just come back from a run.Andie and I have been sleeping in her old room ever since that night. With the hours heโs been keeping, I donโt really know what heโs up to anymore.Honestly? I donโt know if I can even muster the energy to care. Every time I try, it just ends up hurting.โHeyโฆโ Jorge says tentatively, sitting on the arm of the couch.I glance over. โHey,โ I reply, then turn my attention back to the TV.โUmโฆ whereโs Andie?โ he asks, like heโs not sure what to say.โDoctorโs appointment and then grocery shopping.โ My responses arenโt angryโjust short. I give the remote a voice command to switch to N*****x and start scrolling through options, skipping past the show I actually want to watch.Shadow and Bone. Canโ
